22 AUGUST 1874, Page 3

Baron Pigott has at last settled the curious point raised

by the Peculiar People,—whether domestic treatment of the sick without doctors is or is not a punishable offence. Thomas Hines, of Woolwich, one of the sect, was tried on Wednesday, on a charge of manslaughter, for having neglected to secure medical attendance for a child who died of measles, or of convul- sions following measles. It was proved that the father had nursed the child carefully, had given it port-wine, sugar, and arrowroot, and had, in fact, done all he could except call in a doctor or administer medicine. Baron Pigott, there- fore, laid it down that there was no case, the Legislature not having made medical attendance compulsory. There was no neglect, but great care, and a man could not be punished for manslaughter because he was superstitious. The decision was unquestionably sound, punishment where there is no criminal motive being always unjust, but the judgment seems to require a little explanation. We presume that in a surgical case the neglect to summon a surgeon would be considered criminal.